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Chapter 29
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Reckless Hearts Chapter 30
"I, uh... came to return this book. It's yours," Caden stuttered, his eyes following Olivia's gaze as she briefly acknowledged the book before returning her focus to her sheet. He couldn't help but notice that her eyes appeared less swollen and red-rimmed compared to a few weeks ago. "Just put it on the table and leave," Olivia responded, her lips trembling slightly before she pressed them into a firm line. The room fell silent, interrupted only by the sound of the pencil scratching against the paper. Suddenly, Caden heard a groan escape from somewhere in the room. It took him a moment to realize that the sound had come from him. "You're not even going to look at me?" Caden's voice quivered, barely above a whisper. The ache in his chest intensified as he longed for even a fleeting glance from her. "Why should I?" Olivia's voice quivered in response, filled with bitterness and hurt. Silence enveloped the room, heavy with the weight of their unresolved emotions. It was a hurtful sile
Reckless Hearts Chapter 31
The damp blades of grass in front of Ruby held a strange fascination, capturing her attention more than the Math textbook she held in her hands. Her thoughts were interrupted by Luke's furious voice beside her, expressing his strong desire to harm Caden for the pain he had caused her. It was at that moment that Ruby realized her gaze had been fixed on Caden for an extended period of time. He stood a few meters away, completely unaware of the invisible daggers being thrown his way from Ruby's eyes. Swiftly redirecting her attention, Ruby shifted her focus to Luke, who stood by her side. Classes had ended early that day, and while her initial inclination was to head straight home and bury herself in piles of notes and study material, she made the conscious choice to stay behind with Luke. Although it was just a friendly football match, she felt indebted to him for providing a shoulder to lean on when her heart had been trampled by her intense crush. In addition to her gratitude, Ruby h
Reckless Hearts Chapter 32
He snickered again, unaware of the nerve he had struck within her. Ruby felt a mix of irritation and frustration building up inside her as she warned him that she wasn't trying to be funny. Avoiding eye contact, she felt small and overshadowed by his towering presence. Caden, realizing his jest had not been well received, cleared his throat and attempted to adopt a more serious expression. He apologized, but Ruby couldn't help but roll her eyes at his attempt to rectify the situation. Her guard was up, sensing that there was an ulterior motive behind his sudden interaction. "What do you want?" she questioned, her tone laced with skepticism. Caden's laughter only intensified her suspicion, as if he were deliberately trying to provoke her into an argument. "Why do you think I want something from you?" his voice carried a provocative tone, fueling her annoyance. Ruby knew he was deliberately trying to engage her in a confrontation. Frustrated, she responded sharply, "Then why are you
Reckless Hearts Chapter 33
"Since when do you care about him and me?" Olivia snapped at Ella, her eyes piercing into hers, demanding an answer. Ella hesitated, shaking her head slightly. "I don't," she finally admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Then don't ask me," Olivia retorted, her frustration evident in her tone. She held her gaze, refusing to back down. Ella swallowed nervously and decided to stand up. Sensing Olivia's unwavering resolve, she muttered, "I see you want to be alone right now." "I'm so glad your specs actually work," Olivia couldn't help but taunt Ella as she left with a frown, a small act of defiance in response to the prying questions. Soon, Luke, who had been observing the exchange, commented from behind Olivia. "That was mean." A smile tugged at Olivia's lips as Ruby rejoined her, taking her seat beside her. "I missed you two so much," Olivia rejoiced, her voice filled with genuine joy as she enveloped Ruby in a tight hug. Luke chimed in, teasingly remarking, "We can
Reckless Hearts Chapter 34
However, to Ruby's surprise, Mr. Grover's approach to the situation turned out to be rather underwhelming. In the staffroom, he began the conversation by rubbing his hands together, his face still devoid of any discernible emotion. "Ruby, I've heard a lot about you from other teachers," he started, creating an air of anticipation. "But based on what I've seen, at least in my subject, I find it hard to agree with their assessments." "I understand, Sir," Ruby responded, attempting to convey politeness and appropriate acknowledgement of her shortcomings. "I don't want your understanding alone. What I want is to see improvement," Mr. Grover replied firmly, pointing at her test sheet that revealed a disappointing score. "It's clear that you need help, and it seems you're hesitant to ask for it. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to provide individual tutoring. However, I will arrange for a peer tutor for you. I believe you won't require much time to grasp the concepts—it's rather straig
Reckless Hearts Chapter 35
Ruby let out a slow exhale, attempting to steady her racing heart. Several minutes elapsed before she caught sight of Mr. Grover making his way towards the staffroom. Rising from the bench, she noticed that Caden also stood up, yet he made no effort to acknowledge her presence. It was evident that he was aware of her proximity, but he deliberately avoided greeting her.Doubts crept into her mind, questioning whether her previous words had caused him hurt. Ruby couldn't help but wonder if her blunt dismissal had affected their already strained relationship. As Mr. Grover approached them, her confusion deepened."Good to see the two of you here," Mr. Grover greeted them, prompting Ruby to furrow her brows in bewilderment. "Come inside immediately."Ruby hesitated momentarily, stealing a quick glance at Caden, who now stood behind her. "Both of us, Sir?""Yes, of course," Mr. Grover affirmed.Unsure of what lay ahead, Ruby reluctantly followed Mr. Grover into the staffroom. Taking their
Reckless Hearts Chapter 36
That morning Ruby had a bizarre dream that ended right when Caden began kissing her. She woke up with a jolt and wiped off the drool that covered her cheek, feeling disgust at what she had just experienced. How did she even end up having such a stupid dream? She knew the answer—lately Caden haunted her thoughts. Wherever she went, the thought of him followed because she had been spending a lot of time with him. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she patted her bedsheets in search of her phone and let out a shriek upon seeing the time that flashed across the screen. Kicking off the sheets, she sprinted to the bathroom. Finally, the day was here---Ruby would know if Caden’s tutoring was having any impact on her ability to understand Math or that she was simply wasting her time. However, once she was in the shower, her mind replayed the dream sequence, hyper-focusing on the part where Caden would hook his arm around her waist to pull her close before sealing her lips with a kiss. The ti
Reckless Hearts Chapter 37
Caden was equally surprised at the sudden change the weather had made—evident from the way he cursed at the sky as they sprinted to get cover from the rain. He used her book to shield himself from the downpour, prompting Ruby to smack his arm, but she withdrew the thought before she could take action on it. Ruby’s cheeks flushed all of a sudden as the dream flooded her mind once again, slowing her pace. Caden turned to look at her, as if sensing her thoughts. He was a few steps away from her, standing beneath the cafeteria shed. “What are you doing? Come on, run!” he yelled. Shaking her head, Ruby made herself cover the distance between them. Surprisingly, the place was deserted. Not a single soul was in view and the air smelled of fresh paint. “Don’t you know?” Caden asked. “It’s being renovated.” ‘Did he just read my mind?’ Ruby thought to herself, feeling alarmed. She made sure to keep her eyes everywhere but on his face. She nodded at his words, realizing it had been a while
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Reckless Hearts Chapter 62
Ruby woke up to the persistent buzz of her phone vibrating on her nightstand. She groaned, annoyed by the interruption to her sleep, and reached out to silence it. Her vision was blurred from sleep, and her mind was still foggy. As she squinted at the screen, she saw a flurry of texts and missed calls from various contacts. Her heart rate quickened with an undefined sense of dread, but her groggy mind couldn’t piece together what might have caused such urgency.Before she could delve into the messages, her bedroom door creaked open. The sound was eerily loud in the early morning silence, and Ruby looked up to see her sister, Riley, standing in the doorway. Riley's face was pale, her eyes wide with fear.“Ruby… are you up?” asked Riley, her voice too quiet, too held back.“Yeah, just,” Ruby answered hesitantly, dread filling the air. Ruby knew everything wasn't okay but she still put forward the question, “Is everything okay?” “Something bad has happened,” Riley revealed, her voice tre
Reckless Hearts Chapter 61
An hour later, Caden drove Ruby to Florence's house, the car humming softly beneath the weight of their shared silence. They had spent the past hour talking about everything and nothing at the same time. After their kiss, they had wandered through Willowbrook High, finding a quiet park bench where they sat. Caden had even shared stories from his childhood, making Ruby laugh more than she had in days. Caden told Ruby about the time he had gotten detention for sneaking a frog into the teacher's lounge as a prank. Ruby recounted her own mischief, like the time she accidentally set off the fire alarm trying to make popcorn in the science lab microwave.Every now and then, there was a comfortable silence where they simply enjoyed each other's company. As they pulled up outside Florence's house, Ruby turned to Caden. “Do you want to come in?” she asked, her voice soft.Caden shook his head gently. “I think it’s best not to overwhelm her. Besides, I have to go to a party hosted by one of my
Reckless Hearts Chapter 60
“Break her heart and you’re dead, grumpy boy,” Olivia told Caden, jabbing a finger at his chest before she walked away.For what seemed like a whole minute Ruby stood in her place, her heart pounding in her chest. She had her eyes glued on Caden who had his back to her as he watched Olivia walk away, out of their sight. What did Olivia mean? Why would she say that to Caden? Did Caden plan on asking her out?Ruby shook her head slowly, exhaling. This was not real. She subtly pinched herself, hissing as the pain reverberated through her arm. This was real. Caden Miller was here in front of her and he had sent Olivia away so he could talk to her. “Ruby?” Caden called out her name, nudging her arm gently. “Where did you get lost?” he asked as she shook herself back to reality. “No. Nowhere,” she answered, fumbling. “Walk with me?” he prompted, his voice careful. Was he nervous?Ruby nodded, gulping. As Ruby retraced her path, falling in footsteps beside Caden, she thought of how they
Reckless Hearts Chapter 59
Olivia had done her best to maintain her giggly, I-am-absolutely-okay-now facade. But the more she looked at Luke, the harder she found it to keep herself from breaking apart. He had outright rejected her. He hadn’t given her a chance to explain herself, although she was sure there was no explanation she could have given him. There’s never an explanation for crushing on someone. But whatever she felt for him had been more than just infatuation. Luke had been nice to her; he had been playful. He had made her so happy in such a short time. Maybe her subconscious couldn’t let her be that way and decided to ruin it. She wasn’t even sure how he had figured it out. Was that how obvious it was? Did she have it tattooed on her forehead? It had hurt so much when he’d said that it would never work. That she and him couldn’t be together. He wasn’t even ready to give it a chance. He had already made up his mind. And here Olivia was, begging to God to let him give her a single glance. As the d
Reckless Hearts Chapter 58
Ruby was a different person—she knew it the moment she stepped inside her classroom after the long-term break. Or maybe that was an exaggeration. Arguably, at least one-sixteenth of her was different. She had not given much thought to who had spiked her fruit punch at Florence’s house party over the break. She had spent it reasonably—mending her sistership with Riley over TV shows, hanging out at Olivia’s to help her with babysitting/the daycare, and, of course, daydreaming of being with Caden. That guy was always there, in some way. In some corner of her mind, he had found a place and he liked to remind her of it every now and then. But now, feeling the first wave of her classmates’ chatter pass through her, she suddenly found herself trying to discover who among them had done that to her. It could’ve ended horribly. Ruby wasn’t stupid. She knew why people spike drinks at a party. But to think it was random and not carefully selected was not something she could wrap her head around.
Reckless Hearts Chapter 57
Olivia was cheering, her voice piercing through the chilly evening air like a beacon. Her hands were raised high as she screamed, “Come on, Caden!” just as the football soared toward him. He was distracted—momentarily—but then, in the blink of an eye, his focus was back on the field.Luke sprinted forward, their eyes meeting for the briefest of seconds. Caden noticed the slightest nod from him. It was the signal. And he did exactly as they had planned.Anyone who blinked missed it—a clever maneuver they had practiced countless times. It was a strategy to confuse the opponent, and it worked perfectly. The ball was passed with precision, a deceptive flick to the side that sent the defenders scrambling. After two seconds, the sound of the whistle resounded across the field.Willowbrook had just kicked in the winning goal.The next few minutes were a blur for Caden. It wasn’t just him screaming for their victory but likely everyone else. The roar of the crowd, the crush of jubilant teammat
Reckless Hearts Chapter 56
Daniel’s mother opened the front door of the house. Her eyes widened the moment she saw Florence’s distraught face, but she quickly bit her lip and offered a smile. “Oh, hello, dear. Come inside. Dinner’s ready.”Florence tried her best to stretch her lips into a smile, but she failed terribly and could only cry. Daniel was supportive, guiding her in, his arm still protectively wrapped around her. He told his mom, “Can you bring our food upstairs?”“Of course,” his mother said, nodding. “Give me just a minute.”He guided Florence up the stairs, although she didn’t need it. Florence had been frequently visiting Daniel’s house ever since she was a baby. They had been playschool mates because their mothers had been childhood friends. However, the stark change in Florence’s mother’s behavior over the last few years had clearly affected her relationship with Daniel’s mother as well. The moment Florence stepped inside Daniel’s room, a question struck her mind. “Does your mom know that we’r
Reckless Hearts Chapter 55
Florence smiled against Daniel’s lips as he leaned in across his seat to kiss her. Something that started off as a soft peck on her lips made her heart flutter in a way that she found herself, pulling him closer by grabbing the collar of his shirt. “Woah,” he voiced, giving into the kiss. When Florence pulled apart, she was just fine, but Daniel was breathing hard. He blinked slowly twice, and from the look on his face, Florence knew she had sent him back to heaven and brought him right back into her car. They had been on their way back from Willowbrook’s second football match in the inter school championship. This one had ended on a high note—everyone had been holding their breath up until the last few seconds when Luke had thrown in the winning goal. Somewhere along the way, she had found herself unable to hold back—Daniel had been looking way too cute lately and all she wanted to do was kiss his face all day. Now as they sat staring at each other, the night quiet outside, an exci
Reckless Hearts Chapter 54
Six days into the term break, Ruby had started to feel restless. She had never spent so much of her time inside the house, not since she had first left for her boarding school. Riley had kept her company in the evenings upon returning from work. They watched teen dramas together, getting stuffed on popcorn as Riley gossiped about her co-workers. While Ruby’s days were spent immersed in the pile of books she owned—reading about bad boys that turned good for the girls they fell in love with; grey characters that struggled with making decisions; and why the stars were something to be fascinated about endlessly. The feeling was odd because she had always believed she enjoyed her own company. She’d never felt the need to be around other humans. It was because she missed school. She missed being on her toes with all the homework and classwork and assignments and presentations. She missed being surrounded by Olivia, Luke, Florence… and Caden. Although she had made up her mind to speak to C
